vicious

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishviciousvi‧cious /ˈvɪʃəs/ ●●○ adjective1VIOLENTviolent and cruel in a way that hurts someone physicallya vicious murdera vicious killerKeep away from that dog, he can be vicious.► see thesaurus at cruel, violent2UNKINDvery unkind in a way that is intended to hurt someone’s feelings or make their character seem bad syn maliciousSarah can be quite vicious at times.a vicious personal attack on the DuchessShe was shocked by the vicious tone in his voice.3SERIOUS SITUATIONunpleasantly strong or severe syn violenta vicious gust of winda vicious headache —viciously adverbHe twisted her arm viciously. —viciousness noun [uncountable]